hubiestubert:The poke test comment is 3/4 right. It depends on the cut, it depends on several factors, but experience tells, and yeah, I do a poke test, but then again, I cook steaks a bit more often than most folks. A professional's experience though, sometimes you do a sneak and peek, if you're not as familiar with the cut, or you have a fairly large piece, then a thermometer is your friend. A New York isn't the same as a ribeye, and they cook slightly differently, and you have to practice a bit to get to know the feel, and it doesn't hurt to know the cut, and if you're the one doing the butchery, that helps. I cut a lot of ribeye and New Yorks, and each slab is a bit different, and it comes down to experience and knowing the cut to do a poke test. It's not so cut and dried as folks seem to think.